1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fabric belt for producing a corrugated cardboard web in a corrugated cardboard machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a fabric belt is known from U.S. Pat. No. 1,932,203. The fabric belt comprises an outer paper side facing the corrugated cardboard web and an inner load side on which the drive forces are introduced into the belt. Connecting pieces are provided for connecting the belt ends into an endless belt, which connecting pieces consist of a fastening strip with connecting clips and a connecting section, which surrounds the fastening strip as an outer fabric web. The fabric web of the connecting section is placed on the belt ends and is tightly sewed thereon in such a way that the fastening strips represent an extension of the belt end. The coupling clips of the opposite ends which are fixed in the fastening strip engage in a meshing fashion into each other and are connected to each other in a force-transmitting manner by a coupling rod.
The fabric strips of the connecting section which are sewed onto the outer sides of the fabric belt lead to an increase in the thickness in the end region of the belt. This is undesirable both on the load side associated with the drive and also on the paper side carrying the product.
A fabric belt is known from EP 2 055 831 A1 whose belt ends are reduced in thickness in order to form connecting pieces. In these thickness-reduced ends, the fastening clips are fixed and connected in the known manner via a coupling rod in the longitudinal direction of the belt in a force-transmitting manner to each other.
In order to produce the belt connection, the belt ends need to be reshaped, the clips need to be introduced into the reshaped ends and finally need to be flock-coated for height compensation. This type of connection is technically complex and requires long production periods.